Autodesk Announces MotionBuilder 2009 3D Character Animation Software

New Version Provides Real-Time Simulation Toolset and Enhanced Interactivity
for Director-Driven Virtual Cinematography and Animation-Intensive Productions

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At SIGGRAPH 2008, Autodesk,
Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced Autodesk MotionBuilder 2009 software, the
latest version of its real-time 3D character animation solution for games,
film, and television projects. The 2009 version offers high-quality
visualizations within the 3D viewport, an intuitive toolset for real-time
simulation, and expanded scripting capabilities for tighter pipeline
integration. MotionBuilder 2009 will be showcased at the Autodesk booth
(#501) during SIGGRAPH 2008, at the Los Angeles Convention Center Aug. 12-14.
"Autodesk MotionBuilder 2009 is one of the most significant releases of
the software since its inception," said Marc Petit, Autodesk's Media &
Entertainment senior vice president. "This version includes improved
workflows for technical directors, as well as an increased focus on
interactivity with capture, simulation and high quality rendering in real
time. It lets animators be more productive, and puts total creative control
into the hands of directors and cinematographers."
"Autodesk MotionBuilder has long been one of the most powerful and
reliable character animation tools on the market -- both for keyframing and
motion capture processing," said Petr Mores, senior animator at Crytek GmbH,
and MotionBuilder beta tester. "As an animator, I love the new rigid body
physics and Rag Doll solvers in the 2009 version, which help to perfect a
multitude of movements that would otherwise be quite painful to capture
realistically. Technical directors will also be happy to see the new Python
script editor and ability to create custom UIs, which will allow them to fully
integrate MotionBuilder into pipelines like ours."
Key Highlights of Autodesk MotionBuilder 2009
Real-time Simulations
Animators now have the ability to perform rigid body dynamic simulations
inside the software, giving them a more efficient workflow for producing
realistic animations. Support for real-time collisions prevents
interpenetration of characters, objects and other scene elements. This is
particularly useful for those looking to efficiently edit 3D animations
involving characters interacting with objects. Also, the addition of a Rag
Doll solver allows users to perform simulations dynamically, such as a
character falling and hitting the ground. Artists can control the behavior of
their character easily by layering animation on top of this simulation, for
increased realism.
Enhanced Pipeline Integration
MotionBuilder 2009 enhances support for industry-standard digital content
creation applications, so that both technical directors and developers can
integrate the software into a production pipeline and bring data across,
quickly and accurately. The Python scripting language now includes a full
script editor with syntax checking and command highlighting, which enables
technical directors to create custom tools and scripts more efficiently.
Enhanced support is also available for workflows involving MotionBuilder and
the Autodesk 3ds Max software's Biped system or the Autodesk Maya software's
Full Body Inverse Kinematics (FBIK) character rig.
Real-Time Rendering in the Viewport
MotionBuilder 2009 provides support for advanced hardware shaders,
improving the quality of the real-time display in the viewport. New Normal
Mapping CG shader support allows artists to work with existing normal maps
created in Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max or Autodesk Mudbox software and
view them in real-time in the viewport. Furthermore, the new Light
Attenuation CG shader lets artists achieve greater levels of subtlety and
realism by giving them more control over the attenuation and fall-off of their
real-time lighting. Also, MotionBuilder now supports version 2.0 of the CgFX
library, enabling animators to take advantage of the latest CgFX shader
technology.
For a complete list of new features and enhancements in Autodesk
MotionBuilder 2009, visit http://www.autodesk.com/motionbuilder.
Pricing and Availability
Autodesk anticipates that MotionBuilder 2009 will be available in October
2008. The software will be available for 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Windows
operating systems, now including the 64-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Business
operating system. The Autodesk suggested retail price for MotionBuilder 2009
software is US$3,995*. The Autodesk suggested retail price to upgrade from
MotionBuilder 7.5 to MotionBuilder 2009 is US$995*.
Autodesk Subscription with Gold Support is available for purchase
simultaneously with the product or upgrade purchase. The Autodesk suggested
retail price Subscription with Gold Support for MotionBuilder is US$795* per
year. Subscription with Gold Support customers qualify for access to the
latest software updates, valuable product extensions, telephone and web
support, a comprehensive knowledgebase and e-learning materials.
*International pricing may vary.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the
manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets.
Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the
broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutions to help
customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies
rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world
performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance
quality and foster innovation. For additional information about Autodesk,
visit http://www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Maya, MotionBuilder, Mudbox and 3ds Max are registered
trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or
affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Python is a registered
trademark of Python Software Foundation. SIGGRAPH is a registered trademark
of the Association of Computing Machinery, Inc. All other brand names,
product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk
reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time
without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors
that may appear in this document. (C) 2008 Autodesk, Inc. All rights
reserved.

Contact: Brittany Bonhomme, 514-954-7419 / Karen Raz, 310-450-1482
Email: brittany.bonhomme@autodesk.com / karen@razpr.com

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SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.

Brittany Bonhomme of Autodesk, Inc., +1-514-954-7419,
brittany.bonhomme@autodesk.com; or Karen Raz, +1-310-450-1482,
karen@razpr.com, for Autodesk, Inc.